Reflector button



Feb. 8, 1944. c. D. RYDER REFLECTOR- BUTTON Filed July 19, 1941 Patented Feb. 8, 1944 aEFLEc'ron BUTTON Charles D. Ryder, Covington, Ky.,V assgnor to The National Colortype Company, Bellevue, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky.

Application July 19, 1.941, Serial No. 493,171

2 Claims.

The present invention relates to highway markers, traffic signs, advertising signs, etc., and more particularly to the reector buttons which form part of these markers or signs.

In the manufacture and assembly of reflector buttons, it is customary to provide the button with a cylindrical casing and to mount the casing within an opening in the sign plate, securing the casing in position by means of a nut or any other form of locking device. This method of mounting the reflector buttons on the sign plate is expensive for the reason that the cylindrical casing must carry screw threads and, in addition, the operation of applying a nut represents considerable work, particularly in the case of signs where large numbers of reflector buttons are employed. Moreover, the plate on which the reflector buttons are mounted usually forms part of a boxlike compartment, closed on all sides in order to prevent tampering and to afford protection against the weather, so that when a reflector button or buttons need to be replaced the back portion of the compartment must be opened in order to give access to the locking device.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a reiiector button of simple construction which may be mounted on a sign plate and held rigidly in position without the use of a screw thread and nut or any other locking device which must be applied to the rear side of the sign plate. In carrying out this object there is provided in accordance with the invention a locking structure formed integral with the button casing and which is effective immediately upon pressing the reflector button into position on the sign plate without the necessity of applying other locking means at the rear of the plate. Thus, the improved reilector button may be pressed into position in the opening in the sign plate and rigidly held in that position without further operation or manipulation.

In the manufacture of highway markers or signs, the gauge of the plate on which the reflector buttons are mounted may vary, depending cn the size and character of the marker being fabricated so that any lockingdevice for the reflector button which becomes effective upon pressing the button into position must accommodate itself to sign plates of different thicknesses. Accordingly, still another object is to provide a reflector button which not-only provides its own means for locking the button in positionon the sign plate, but also accommodates itself, together with the locking. means, to sign plates' of any' predetermined thickness. In accordance with the invention there is provided a casing forthe button made of metal and a flange formed in the casing, also a series of tabs or fingers which project outwardly by spring action and press the flange against the sign plate, thus holding the casing and button in position. By terminating the tabs or ngers at different distances from the fiange, the clamping structure is adapted to grip different thicknesses of plate without necessitating any change in the gripping structure. Thus, the improved reector button can be mounted on any Aone of a number of sign plates and held firmly on the plate by the improved gripping structure.

The invention will be better understood when reference is made to the following description and the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of a highway marker or sign provided with the improved reflector button.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the button including the mounting detail. This View also shows the improved gripping device which accommodates itself to diiferent thicknesses or gauge of the sign plate.` y Y Figure 3 is an elevational view of the improved button shown in' Figure 2 and mounted` in place on a metal plate of predetermined thickness.

Figure 4 is a view similar to that of Figure 3 except that it shows a button mounted in a plate of different gauge. Figures 3 and 4 show the manner in which the same locking or gripping device or structure accommodates itself to different thicknesses of the sign plate.

Figure 5 is a modified form of reflector button in which the locking structure is designed to accommodate only one thickness of the sign plate.

Referring to the drawing in detail:

In Figure l, numeral l represents a plurality of reflector buttons secured to a metal plate 2 and which may form partk of an insignia, letter or number forming part of an advertising sign or a highway marker denoting route, direction, presence of a traffic obstruction, or conveying other information to a motorist'. The lens portion of the button is shown more clearly in Figurev 2 and comprises a relatively thick spherically ground outer portion 3, also an inner portion 4 having a spherical configuration, these portions being positioned on vopposite sides of a cylindrical portion 5 which is provided with shoulders 6,1. The shoulder 6 provides a surface against whichma clamping effect is exerted as will be explainedhereinafter, while the shoulder 1 is provided witha tapered cylindrical' surface and.

rests on a rubber washer l. The spherical portions 3, 4 have different curvatures in order to provide focusing or directive elect on the' light which enters the lens.

The lens is mounted in a metal casing, generally indicated 8, this casing having portions 9, I of dierent diameters joined together at the shoulder I I. The casing portion 9 has an interior diameter such as snugly to t about the cylindrical portion 5 of the lens. The casing portion I0 of smaller diameter has an interior dimension such as to permit the shoulder portion I of the lens to rest on the casing at the ledge or shoulder II. In the annular space immediately surrounding the casing portion III, there is provided a relal.

tively thick ring of metal I2 on which the shoulder portion II of the casing rests. The internal diameter of the ring I2 is preferably slightly larger than the outside diameter of the casing portion Ill, leaving a space indicated at I3. The

outside diameter of the ring I2 is preferably the same as the outside diameter of the casing portion 9. Surrounding the casing portion 9 and the metal ring I2 there is an outer casing I4 which makes a snug fit and terminates at the bottom in a spherical portion I5 having a curvature which is concentric to the portion I6 terminating at the lower end of the casing I0. The portions 9, I0 and I6 of the inner casing 8 are preferably made of a base metal such as brass or zinc and the concave portion I6 is preferably coated with chromium, rhodium, or silver so as to give good specular reection. Another metal which may be employed for the casing 8 is aluminum which has fairly high reflectivity and therefore may or may not be given an additional mirrorlike coating. The concave surface I6 should be positioned with respect to the lens so that light rays converged by the lens will focus on this surface. The casing 8 is most conveniently and inexpensively formed by a drawing process.

The casing I4 terminates at its upper edge in an inwardly projecting lip I'I which extends about the shoulder 6 of the lens and therefore secures the two casings and the lens into a unitary structure. Just below the lip I'I, there is provided a fiange I8 which projects outwardly from the casing I4 and is preferably. integral with the casing.

Heretofore it has always been a diicult problem to secure a construction such as is described hereinbefore within the opening of a sign plate and to secure the casing to the plate in a firm but detachable manner without the use of screw threads and nuts. It will be understood that these signs may be subjected to severe climatic conditions which encourage corrosion, so that ordinary securing means are not suflicient. However, in accordance with the present invention a simple and extremely eflicacious fastening means is provided which not only will hold the reflector button rigidly in place but will permit the button to be removed from the sign plate when necessary. This improved fastening means is more clearly illustrated in Figures 3 and 4. There is provided about the periphery of the outer casing I4, preferably equidistantly spaced, a number of inverted U-shaped slots I9, 20, in effect forming the upstanding projections or tabs 2|, 22.' The alternate slots I9 are preferably higher as measured upwardly along the casing I4 than the remaining slots 20, so that assuming the slots I9, 2D have the same width, the resulting tab 2l will be spaced from the flange I8 a distance a which is less than the distance b denoting the distance between the ange and the remaining tab 22. The tabs 2|, 22 are sprung outwardly in any suitable and well known manner. 'I'he plate 2 is provided with openings at the position it is desired to mount the reflector button, the size of these openings preferably being such as to readily fit the outer casing I4. Now assume that the plate 2 is 18 gauge metal. The tabs 2I are spaced a distance a of .062" from the underside of the flange I8 in which case when the button structure is pressed into position within the openings in the plate 2, the tabs 2| will spring outwardly and will cause gripping of the plate 2 between the flange and the upper edge of the alternate tab 2|. The tab 22 will not have contacted the undersurface of the plate 2 because the distance b is greater than the thickness of the plate 2. This has been indicated at the extreme left-hand position in Figure 3.

If we assume that the plate is of heavy gauge, for example, of 16 gauge, the distance b between the lower surface of the flange I8 and the upper v edge of the tab 22 should be approximately .074.

The difference a between the remaining tabs 2| and the flange I8 will, of course, be somewhat less. When the reflector button structure is pressed into the opening of a plate of this heavier gauge, the tabs 2| will be held in their rectilinear or cylindrical alignment by the surface of the opening, but the remaining tabs 22 will be permitted to spring themselves outwardly as indicated in Figure 4 and thus clamp the reflector button structure between the flange I8 and the upper edges of the tabs 22.

In case it is desired to remove the reilector button from the plate, it is only necessary to apply to the tabs which have been sprung out, a. clamping or squeezing effect which returns them to their original cylindrical position at which time the entire structure including the casings and the lens may be removed bodily through the opening in the plate.

While I have described the operation of the tabs 2l, 22 as exerting a gripping effect on the two gauges of plate, it is apparent that as many thicknesses of lplate may be provided as there are groups of the tabs 2l, 22. Regardless of the gauge of plate which is employed, only that group of tabs will be permitted to spring outwardly which provides sufcient space between the upper surface of the tabs and the flange I8. The tabs 2i, 22, etc., may be formed by a punching out process when the metal of the casing I4 is in a flat form. The casing itself may be drawn to form and during the drawing operation all of the tabs 2l, E2 can be caused to spring outwardly.

From the foregoing it is evident that I have provided a very useful structure by which a reector button can be firmly held in the opening provided in a sign plate and regardless of the thickness or gauge of that plate. The effectiveness of the grip exerted by the tabs 2|, 22 may be increased or decreased as desired by changing the number of tabs which are permitted to spring outwardly and thus contact the lower surfacel of the plate.

Instead of giving the tabs 2|, 22 different distances a, b, as measured from the flange, the effective edge of these tabs may be positioned at the same distance from the flange. In this case only one gauge of plate can be accommodated by the tabs. This modification has been shown in Figure 5 in which the tabs 23 are given approximately the same length as the tabs 2i, 22 but the height of the tabs 23 is considerably less. This decreased height tends to stiien the tab and thereby increase the gripping effect it exerts against the lower side of the plate 2. Moreover, inasmuch as all of the tabs 23 contact the under surface of the plate 2` the area of the plate over which the gripping effect is exerted is greatly increased. In the case of the structures shown in Figures 3 and 4 only each alternate tab 2 i, Z2 contacts the plate 2 so that the modified locking structure shown in Figure 5 exerts twice as muchY gripping elect as in the other structures, assuming that the tabs 23 are spaced apart the same peripheral distance as the tabs 2l, `22. In Figure 5 the tabs 23 are formed with a much narrower incision than the tabs 2|, 22 in the remaining figures.

It will be understood that I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A reilector button for highway markers comprising a lens having a spherical and a cylindrical portion and spaced shoulders at the upper and lower termini of the cylindrical portion, and a mounting therefor including a ring, and an inner casing having portions of diierent dialneters joined by a shoulder which rests upon said ring, the portion of smaller diameter tting within said ring and having a concave portion forming a reflector, the portion of larger diameter fitting the cylindrical portion ofthe lens; and an outer casing surrounding the portion of the inner casing of larger diameter and having a lip which extends over the upper shoulder of the cylindrical portion of the lens, an annular flange and outwardly-sprung tabs positioned about the periphery of said casing and spaced from the flange, said outer casing surrounding the ring and continuing to form a spherical portion outside of and concentric with the spherical portion of the inner casing.

2. A reliector button for highway markers comprising a lens having a spherical and a cylindrical portion and two spaced shoulders on the cylindrical portion and a mounting therefor including a ring and an inner casing having por tions of different diameters joined by a shoulder which rests upon said ring, the portion of smaller diameter fitting within said ring and having a concave portion forming a reiiector and the portion of larger diameter tting the cylindrical portion of the lens, and an outer casing surrounding the portion of the inner casing of larger diameter and having a lip which extends over the upper shoulder of the lens, an annular flange surrounding said cylindrical portion of the lens, a plurality of groups of outwardly sprung tabs of different lengths, alternately arranged about the periphery of said casing and spaced from the flange, said outer casing surrounding the ring and continuing to form a spherical portion outside of and concentric with the spherical portion of the inner casing.

CHARLES D. RYDER. 

